<TLN: Changed Drial to Driar, and Jojoli to Jojori since their father/grandfather is Dohar and they're all dwarves.>

7-3. At the Hometown of the Dwarves (2)

Satou's here. Ironworks often come up in drama or theatrical play, but isn't it not the case with light novel?
Even though the leading role usually does a lot of blacksmith-related things, it's strange.

◇

"Then let me see you forge a sword. We'll talk after that."

Jojori-san?
I look to her, but she averts her eyes.

We've come to elder Dohar's workplace after passing through less-than-one-and-a-half meter high tunnel. There are also numerous high leveled dwarves forging swords inside the room.
They're all good. Every sword's offense, sharpness, endurance and other parameters are 50% higher than the ones available in the city.

The word earlier was addressed to me after I introduced myself to him.

"Father, Satou-dono is an acquaintance of viscount Rottol, and--"
"Umu, I'm indebted to Nina, but this and that are different story. I can understand people's nature from how they forge swords. Zajir, heat up a mithril ingot."
"Uss, Shishou."

Driar interceded, but elder Dohar quickly proceeded with the trial.
The dwarf with gray beard, Zajir, offers me the seat before the prepared ingot and tools.
Well, since I've tried blacksmithing once in Muno city, I mostly understand the procedures, I'll try this once again. The skill is MAX anyway, I should be able to do it somehow.

I let the ingot to become red hot, and put it on the anvil. I gently strike it with the smith hammer.

Clink.

Huh? Something doesn't feel right?
Elder Dohar seems to have sensed my hesitation, he takes the hammer and similarly strikes the ingot. After hitting it once, he calls Zajir-san and punches Zajir on the head with his fist.

"Idiot, how many decades have you dealt with mithril. Haven't I told you to always be at the workshop when you're melting the ingot!"
"Uss, Shishou."

I don't really understand, but it seems that there's a problem with the ingot Zajir-san has prepared.
The slight sense of incongruity was because of that huh.

Looks like elder Dohar is going to guide me directly. I haven't forged a sword, but I've probably passed the test. Driar-san and Jojori-san are also following from behind. Zajir-san has gone earlier, I wonder if there's some kind of preparation.

I don't know what kind of furnace it'd be, but I'm going to enjoy it.

◇

The blast furnace for mithril is made from a metal that's strong against heat, Hihiirokane--something with Japanese-style name after a long while.

Zajir-san and other blacksmiths are making noise there, but everyone is lying down on the floor.

Apparently, this furnace is not fueled with coal, but with magic power in order to make it works.

Looks like the blacksmiths have ran out of magic power, and they're currently resting. Everyone here is a veteran with level higher than 30. Everyone has blacksmith and some kind of magic skills. The situation might be the same as the blast furnace above, with fewer people available than usual.

Apparently, they're waiting for their magic power to recover in two hours.
Elder Dohar's wrinkle become deeper and he's shouting, but there's nothing they can do without magic power. I wonder if he has also reached that conclusion, his argument turns here.

"Young 'un, since you're carrying short stick, are you a spell-user? If you're confident with your magic power, then put it into that furnace."
"Wait, father, don't make our guest act like your disciples."
"There's no problem if it's just magic power."

Driar objects, but I also want to look at the working furnace fast, so I gladly comply.

I put in my magic power.
I guess 200-300 MP should be enough?
It gets sucked rapidly. There's no response.

10.

20.

There's no lamp or some kind indication for when if it's enough, I guess I'll put the amount at the level where the surrounding aren't going to be surprised.

100.

200.

300.

Oh, the fallen people's faces slightly change. I should stop here huh. 300 MP should be normal for a magician with slightly higher level than 30.
Still, seeing this reaction, wouldn't this able to accept 1000MP?

While acting like I'm wiping sweats that don't actually come out, I stop the infusion of magic power.

"Fuh, this furnace is amazing. Looks like it can still accept more."
"Umu."

Elder Dohar nods, and the surrounding people begin to move, the mithril refinery starts.

Jojori-san presents me sunglasses-like thing.

"Since it would hurt your eyes, please take this. Please don't stare at the fire even after you put it on."

I accept it while saying my thanks. It's pitch dark after I put it on. I could only faintly see the mithril furnace. As I stare harder.

>[Night Vision Skill Acquired]

I get the skill after all this time. After I activate it, I become able to see like normal even though I'm wearing sunglasses.

"I'm igniting it! Everyone, make sure to put yer' shade tools."

Uwah, this is dangerous. At this rate, there's no point in wearing the sunglasses.
I immediately close my eyes, but I'm late for an instant. White afterimage burned into my eyes.

>[Light Radiation Adjustment Skill Acquired]

Am I a robot! I activate it while cursing. I'd have liked this skill before it happens.
I open my eyes while feeling the self-recovery skill restoring my retina.

The temperature rises while the vermilion band around the furnace is mysteriously moving. Can you understand if I say that I'm seeing the inside of the furnace like with CT-scan? The AR indicates that the temperature reaches 3000 degree. The temperature of the ironworks that I've seen earlier is 1600 degree. Looks like mithril is substantially more resistant to heat.<TLN: The author doesn't state which standard he's using for temperature but it's most likely Celsius.>

"Umu, it's a nice vermilion."

I don't really understand, but elder Dohar seems to be satisfied while looking at the light leaking from the furnace.

Seems that the furnace could refine 100 kilograms of ingot in one go.
When the heat cools down, beautiful silver ingots with slight green tinge are completed.

Since this has taken quite a bit of time, Driar-shi has gone back to the city leaving Jojori-san here.

Elder Dohar sees the completed ingot, but then he suddenly raises his arm, and strike it with a small hammer, confirming the sound. He chooses several ingots that Zajir then carries.

Is Basilisk edible. Or rather, it's no good to not eat something that's been presented huh~

I ask Jojori-san who's going to go back to fetch food to bring message to Arisa and the others and arrange for their meal. Though, since they're going to stay in the guest mansion of the mayor, there's probably no problem.

◇

It's exactly a lump of iron--<TLN: Berserk reference.>

Putting aside the joke, the great hammer that Zajir-san bring is an unrefined lump of metal. Looks like it's an alloy made from iron and mithril.

What the heck is this? It's being lifted lightly, but isn't this at least one ton heavy?

"What's wrong young 'un. If it's just that much, dwarves could lift it on one hand. Put out your spirit!"

Dwarves are amazing. This, with one hand huh.
Zajir-san actually lifts it on one hand. He's trying to appeal to Jojori-san, but she thoroughly ignores him. Needless to say, Dohar-san put his fist on Zajir-san who falls then.

It's not like I can't lift the great hammer, but since my body is light, it's hard to get the balance right. My balance shakes off several times as I'm learning. When I think about it, I might have not struggled if I just activate Transport skill.

While I'm learning to swing the great hammer, elder Dohar is checking the inside of the a jar that his disciples have brought.

"This is a bit weak. Bring out a stronger one."
"Shisou, we only have that for now."
"Then, have Ganza compound it."
"Ganza is having a meeting with the Gnomes, so he won't be back until tomorrow."

Elder Dohar looks like he's going to explode. It seems the blacksmiths use some kind of medicines. If I know the recipe I could compound it instead, but it's probably not something that could be taught to outsider.

A prompt decision. Starting with Zajir-san, the disciples are becoming upset.
It seems they're not people who could say something directly face-to-face.

The recipe is hidden in an unexpected way. Instead of tablewares with the scales of the ingredients on the shelf, pots with raw material are lined up in accordance with the compounding order. Lastly, I have to finish it by putting it on the magic bestowing stand, but since the compounding is one of a kind, the setting is fixed.
I don't know the content of the jar, but thanks to [Analysis], [Appraisal] skills, and AR indicators, I've mastered the way to make [Secret Medicine of the Dwarves].

Elder Dohar checks on the medicine I've made, and then nods seriously.

"Good work. Let's boot Ganza out and have you replace him."

I'm not hearing elder Dohar's joke.

I follow elder Dohar to a different blacksmithing room than the first one. There's a small furnace made from hihiirokane inside. This one is for melting ingot, unlike the one for refining earlier. The anvil is also made from iron and mithril alloy. I wonder what's the liquid used for cooling called [Dwarf Water].
Zajir-san answers normally when I ask him. It's a 3:1 mixture of oil and spirit. I refrain myself from retorting, like 'it's more like [Dwarf Oil] rather than [Dwarf Water]', since the mood has become a bit tense.

"The preparation is complete."
"Yosh, let's do it."

Looks like it's quite an honor to help elder Dohar's phase hammer strike, the gazes from the surrounding disciples are painful.
If you have any complaint, I'd like you to tell it to elder Dohar.

I ignore the jealousy from the neighbors and concentrate here. I'll enjoy this rare chance of doing blacksmith together with a famous swordsmith.